Paul Cornell picks the thirty best comics for next year’s hugo awards. Neil‘s recent Batman comic is on there, which *ahem* prompted me to finally go read it. Good job, Neil!
Of the comics on the list, the Secret Six arc charmed me the most.
CATEGORY: Politics
Mamaherb: I love this site. It’s a non-profit wiki that lists real home remedies and herbal cures. What an amazing idea, get free health information into everyone’s hands.
This is awesome. SUSE linux has an online linux tester. You can build a linux install in your browser and then download an ISO of your exact build. Sweet!
I’m really pleased to see Sony moving away from DRM eBooks.
Also awesome. These hardware hackers have built a scalable modular motherboard. This is possibly the future of computing hardware.
CATEGORY: Learnin’
Still looking at MFAs. Here’s some northwest possibilities:
Courses in British Colombia. (Though i hear they arn’t down with non-realist fiction, especially traditional genre.)
There’s this thing called the Uncanny Valley, and you’ve apparently built a summer home there.
Yes, i agree, technology is really cool and computers are pretty sweet too, but you see, we wacky humans have this response to “nearly human” stuff. When you get close to human, but not quite there, we get really creeped out.
When you made your first zombie flick, The Polar Express, i know you didn’t mean to make children cry, but when zombie Tom Hanks takes the train full of zombie children to zombie Santa …
Uncanny valley, Bob.
Then came Beowulf. Sure, i know Grendel is supposed to be scary, but you know, when zombie Ray Winstone macks on zombie Robin Wright Penn, but then gets seduced by zombie Angelina Jolie, it’s not sexy, Bob, it’s kinda creepy.
It’s partially the dead eyes that don’t quite track the way they should. it’s somewhat the poorly articulated hands that seem to grope at things LIKE THE LIVING DEAD. *ahem* sorry.
Now you’re making the uncanny valley zombie version of A Christmas Carol
… will zombie Jim Carrey and … oh you get the idea, it looks really disturbing and … it’s time to stop, Bob.
I notice i’m spending a sizable chunk of my time and attention on NOT WRITING.
This is an issue.
Ok, sure, i’m researching MFAs (or feeling overwhelmed and getting nothing done about MFAs) and my Writers of the Future award and workshop are coming up fast, but … i feel grumpy about not writing.
Me no like.
I think it might be time for me to do another DIFFICULT AND LUDICROUSLY PUBLIC CHALLENGE.
I have some ideas, but nothing has quite come together yet. May have to wait till i get back from WotF. But i know it’s going to involve YOU and will be about setting daily goals and completing them and possibly CASH challenges.
I was thinking about where countries get their names (especially the names other countries call them), so Sarah sent me this neat list of Country Name Etymologies.
Emma Bull started this coolio writing project based on her love of Man from U.N.C.L.E., Shadow Unit!
My God, World of Goo is the most addictive game ever! (Thanks, E.J.)
I think Neil sent around this. An archive of comic book scripts. I’m thinking my next project after the novel will be a script, so, very useful. I also have been looking at a few how-tos, this and this weren’t too bad, but you should probably start with Scott McCloud’s Making Comics, and maybe this or this.
Oh, and i don’t want to forget this cute place in Montreal. I’m hoping to stay there sometime soon. *squee*
I’ve got big plans for this here page. Hoping soon to make a splash page with my publication covers and would love to have some separate feeds going for music and fiction.
The wordpress site has some interesting info on how to do it here.
Oh, and i need to hold onto this. I’m helping Sarah get a webcam for her ancient iBook.
CATEGORY: Learnin’
Because i’m stupid, i’m thinking about going back to school to get my MFA. (Advice welcome in the comments section.) A bunch of my Clarion friends have been helping out.
Actually, i should hit up Nalo, she’s pretty much doing what i’d like to do (traveling around, teaching courses everywhere and writing amazing stuff.)
Here’s a bit of what i’ve been thinking about:
Jeff Vandermeer started this exciting thread on MFA programs who respect “Non-Realist Fiction,” mostly in the UK.
Ever since i found this i just can’t get it out of my head. I’ve infected Sarah, Em, J, Diana, and a bunch of other friends with it. (Em-Bear hates it though.) I’ve watched it at least once a day for the last four days and one of us randomly brings it up every hour or so. It’s … hypnotic.
Mashups make people sound crazy, but frankly the source interview is just totally insane.
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I’m now so addicted to shatner music that i have to watch this one daily too.
